1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a teleconference system for conducting a conference through a network with plural users even who stay away from each other.
2. Description of Related Art
It is possible, owing to the recent developed network technique, to transmit large data (e.g., moving image data and voice data) between plural terminal apparatuses even which are respectively located at separated two or three places. These terminal apparatuses are utilized for implementing a teleconference system in which users staying far way from each other can attend a conference. Such a teleconference system has been implemented, already.
In recent teleconference system, it is possible to share document data with plural terminal apparatuses. Thus, when a user attends a teleconference, the user can access such share-document data. In addition, when a user attends a teleconference, the user can utilize a terminal apparatus to perform some processing on such share-document, such as providing additional information into such share-document data or editing such share-document data. Some teleconference system is known to make it possible to share the results of performed processing with plural terminal apparatuses for allowing plural users to access the results of performed processing, too.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-281971 proposes an electronic conference apparatus including a displaying unit that has a common display area which shows an object (such as a figure and a character), input from another apparatus connected through a network, including an input controlling unit that adds a writing level representing depth to input data, and displaying the object (such as a figure and a character) at virtual depth position based on the writing level. This electronic conference apparatus may display an object (such as a figure and character) readable for users of plural apparatuses connected on the same network, and can provide a conference having higher effectiveness of operation.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-36546 proposes a cooperation-work support system including a share-application managing unit that distributes input operation and all of output display to be shared, for an application executed on a computer window system, and a share-transparent-board managing unit that has a function for directly overlaying a transparent board in which an annotation message and a draw regarding the focus of argument onto a display area. This cooperation-work support system may avoid the interruption of intellectual operation and physical operation caused by the failure of immediacy and continuity in a communication, may integrally distribute a matter for argument, a focus of argument and an annotation message to be shared, and may contribute to facilitating a cooperation work and improving the efficiency of cooperation work.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-149282 proposes a teleconference system in which plural virtual conference terminal apparatuses are connected to a central processing apparatus through a communication line. Additionally, in the proposed teleconference system, the central processing apparatus includes plural pre-combination white boards, each virtual conference terminal apparatus can select one of the plural pre-combination white boards for writing an object, these pre-combination white boards can be combined as required to make a combined image, and the combined image can be displayed. It may not be necessary for this teleconference system to take care of interference on previous writing, although white boards are shared with plural users. In addition, it may be possible to prevent the displayed image from being unreadable due to much information written on the white boards.